Hi, I am currently a interantional business student in the US. I am interested in completing my bachelors degre abroad, specifiacly in Romania, where I was born. I have some questions about the business schools in Romania. Which ones are the best? (I heard the ASE in Bucuresti is pretty good) What kind of application procces would I have to go through (I will complete one year of school here, so I would be a transfer student)? Although I can speak and write in Romanian, I do not have a very wide vocaculary, especialy when it comes to business jargon, are there any courses in English? How diffiult schould I expect school to be? Is this a good investment? When I go out in the world how will a Romanian diploma be looked at?
On a separate note, I am also looking into the posibility of studying in Europe (right now I'm leaning towards Finland). Does having Romanian citizenship make any difference in the school tuition (taxes)?
Any information would be most helpful.

ASE is one of the most respected schools in Bucharest and therefore probably in Romania. A large grey concrete block opposite the British Council, it has the added advantage of doing its degrees in English. I gave a lecture to the English language section and there was a mix of foreign and Romanian students. The FL section is not at the main ASE site but in an older building elsewhere in the city centre.

I personally didn't find Romanian teaching methods what you would call inspiring, even by continental European standards. If you're looking for dynamic work groups and learning about the latest in the business world, well Romanian universities aren't famous for this, although they are rigorous in terms of academic standards. In some universities (not ASE mind you) there are time to time scandals about how a university lecturer asks "rich" foreign students for presents or even cash if they want to pass exams. Since they earn around $150 a month this is hardly a surprise.

You have to pay for university in Romania as a foreigner but its so cheap (especially compared to the US) that you are looking at something daft like $500 a year. You need an AIDS/HIV test and syphillis test (I kid you not) to be able to register.

Since there are so many foreign students (especially middle eastern) they have very well organised methods to register, as well as info on their web pages about dates, etc.

You have to pay for university in Romania as a foreigner but its so cheap (especially compared to the US) that you are looking at something daft like $500 a year

I looked into this earlier this year and all the information I found indicated that foreign students had to pay $340 per month to go to university in Romania. I should point out that this was for state schools, the situation might be different at private institutions.

In addition you had to prove you had enough to fund your stay, which was calculated at 250 EURO per month.

I did have several links to this info but as I sold my PC before moving here I no longer have them. I'm sure you could flush them out though.

You have to pay for university in Romania as a foreigner but its so cheap (especially compared to the US) that you are looking at something daft like $500 a year

I looked into this earlier this year and all the information I found indicated that foreign students had to pay $340 per month to go to university in Romania. I should point out that this was for state schools, the situation might be different at private institutions.

In addition you had to prove you had enough to fund your stay, which was calculated at 250 EURO per month

yep, that sounds right. It's much more expensive for foreign students.

Education is free in Romania, if you have a Romanian passport, as long of course as you get a place! Say there are 75 free places (i.e. places) and you are number 78 well you can normally pay fees and still get in.

Free places only goes up to 1st degree level, so Master's degrees are not free. It also only applies to State universities, not private ones such as the Spiru Haret University which has branches all over the country.

Last edited by CairoMig on Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hi,
I have been talking with some students from Romania, and they have given the immpression that the standard of Romanian education has lowered since 1989. I have also heard that ASE, though a good school, is wrought by corruption and people buying tests. I have not been discouraged yet.

Well if you don't want corruption don't come to Romania! The heavy cogs of Romanian bureaucracy thrive on backhanders

For example, if you need your HIV and syphillis test results, you can either do it legally i.e. have the tests, or alternatively pay the doctor who gives the pre-test questions about health 1 million lei and he'll sign the papers for you there and then.

If you're not so academically gifted, well just pay off your lecturers about $100 per exam and tell them the grades you want. A friend of mine in Bucharest who never went to university apart from the day he had to register used to get his teachers cheap mobile phones from Dubai and stolen Armani gear and of course always got a 7 or 8!

It's well known that in state hospitals, although they are free, you are "expected" to "pay" the doctors around $100 a week to look after your relative, and another $100 for the nurses.

If you want serious paperwork done in Romania, the best way to get it done ASAP is to pay off the officials. If you don't, well you've got a long wait ahead!!!

Here's some info
Scholarships for Romanians Living Abroad
Foreign citizens of Romanian origin and Romanian citizens living abroad may apply for full or partial scholarships for secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Romanian high schools and universities for the 2003-2004 academic year, for the following subjects: philology (Romanian), pedagogy, psychology, sociology, political sciences, history, philosophy, law, arts, theology, economics, medical sciences, engineering, a.o. Necessary documentation: legalized copies of the study diplomas and yearly school reports, legalized copy of the birth certificate, legalized copy of the identity card proving the domicile, copy of the passport from the country of origin, proof of the Romanian ethnic origin (personal identity documents, Romanian passport, a.o.), medical certificate (HIV test included), passport-size photograph for the application form; for doctorate – a CV and list of publications and reference of two professors or researchers.
Applications will be submitted to the Romanian Embassy in London by 10 August 2003. For more information and application forms, please contact the Cultural Department of the Romanian Embassy in London (tel: 020 7937 8125, e-mail: [email protected])

And http://www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com/
Ratiu Foundation Travel Scholarships
As part of its mission to promote the study of Romanian language, culture and civilisation around the world, the Ratiu Foundation offers Romanian Travel Scholarships to students and researchers at all levels, engaged in Romanian Studies in Canada and the USA.

Four experimental Ratiu Travel Scholarships worth $500 each were offered in 2003 to encourage North American students of Romanian to participate in the Romanian Summer School Program offered in Cluj, Romania in July by Babes-Bolyai University in association with Arizona State University of Phoenix/Tempe, Arizona, USA

Well if you don't want corruption don't come to Romania! The heavy cogs of Romanian bureaucracy thrive on backhanders

For example, if you need your HIV and syphillis test results, you can either do it legally i.e. have the tests, or alternatively pay the doctor who gives the pre-test questions about health 1 million lei and he'll sign the papers for you there and then.

It's well known that in state hospitals, although they are free, you are "expected" to "pay" the doctors around $100 a week to look after your relative, and another $100 for the nurses.

I had to get a doctor's cert. for my permit. There's nothing wrong with me but it was a lot easier to pay the guy outside the office for visa application 500'000 ROL for a instant doctor's certificate. Also, I went to hospital regarding a slight eye problem. I could have done it through the insurance and filled in thousands of forms just to have the eye doctor check it out, but it was a lot easier to slip the doc and the nurse 150'000 ROL between them for an immediate check-up. Obviously not suitable if you need documented proof, but I just wanted to be sure there wasn't a problem.